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Page 10

Illinois designs new bill for
minority businesses and contracts
CHICAGO Ilinois Governor Pat Quinn has signed a bill into law that
will create jobs and provide opportunities for businesses owned by
minorities, women and persons with disabilities. The new law requires
that anyone who receives more than $250,000 in state grants or loans for
capital construction must comply with Illinois' equal employment and
business enterprise program practices.
Under the law, grant or loan recipients must sign a written certification
stating their intent to follow Business Enterprise Program (BEP) prac-
tices, which encourage state agencies to work with businesses owned by
minorities, women and people with disabilities.
The new law requires each recipient to submit the written certification
and a BEP plan prior to the grant or loan agreement's execution. The BEP
plan will detail which diverse businesses the grant or loan recipient plans
to utilize with the state funds. The diverse businesses must be at least 51
percent owned and controlled by minorities, women or persons with dis-
abilities. The plan must be approved before any grant or loan funds are
made available to the recipient.

Gary Coleman's ex
seeking common law status
SALT LAKE CITY Gary Coleman's ex-wife is asking a judge to for-
mally recognize her as the child star's surviving spouse. Documents filed
last week in 4th District Court on behalf of Shannon Price say she and
Coleman continued to live together and represent themselves as married
despite their 2008 divorce.
Price wants a judge to recognize her common law marriage to Coleman
from the date of the di% orce through his May 28 death. She is seeking the
declaration as part of the ongoing battle over Coleman's estate. The 42-
year-old Coleman died after suffering a brain hemorrhage.
Multiple wills address the estate, although a note handwritten by
Coleman days after his 2007 marriage names Price his sole heir.
Coleman's ex-girlfriend, Anna Gray, contends a 2005 document awards
her the estate.

Bob Johnson to build spa in Liberia
Billionaire businessman Robert L. Johnson is building a luxury spa
resort in war-torn Liberia. The property will be a 78-room, beach-side
resort. Johnson, the founder and chairman of RLJ Companies, said he
avoided the capital, Monrovia, because of its social problems, high num-
ber of people without proper housing and lack of reliable electricity.
Instead, with the government's help, he chose a beach-side site from
which he had to clear some residents. In his CNN Interview, Johnson
said, "We had to take this location, which was raw dirt. We relocated
some buildings and, frankly, some people that were there, but we relo-
cated them to a nice place. In turn we gave many of the people jobs."

Missouri State University has finally
accepted its' first Black applicant
Mary Jean Price first applied to the school
in 1950. In an effort to right the wrongs of
's 'iS the past, the school has decided to present
degree because she was never allowed to
attend the school.
S '" U ~ Despite graduating at the top of her class
S with the dream of being a teacher, Mary
.. I Jean had her hopes and dreams dashed
-y , [. .y when she applied to Missouri State College
S*' a and they denied her admission. Her family
Couldn't afford to send her 120 miles away
to the nearest HBCU Lincoln University. She ended taking a job as a
janitor instead, married and raised eight children.
"What am I going to do with it? I'm 78 years old." Said Price.

The newspapers have labeled the child's
Caucasian complexion a mystery, saying
genetics experts are "flummoxed" by the
case.
Ben and Angela Ihegboro were certainly -
confused when nurses presented them with
their daughter Nmachi -- whose name means
"beauty of God" in the Nigerian.
Father Ben told The Sun that when he first '-. ->
saw the porcelain-skinned infant he jokingly cried out, "What the fi p '
she mine?" But he never doubted whether he was Nmachi's real dad. "Of
course she is mine. My wife is true to me," he said. "Even if she hadn't
been, the baby wouldn't have looked like that!"
Albinism would have been the most obvious explanation for Nmachi's
pale looks. But, according to a hospital spokesperson, the obstetrician
who delivered Nmachi told the family that doctors suspected the new-
born wasn't, an albino because she didn't have the pink eyes and white
hair traditionally associated with the condition.

with 21st Stop the Violence March
A "Stop the Violence" march was led by the Arms of Mercy Ministries,
a community outreach program of Greater Moncrief Missionary Baptist
Church. The march is a community effort to bring awareness and hope to
the Northside community. For over twenty yearsthe church has marched
and walked the community preaching non-violence. The Arms of Mercy
ministry teaches drug free classes to assist individuals to live a better life
and become productive citizens. KFPphoto

Gamma Rho Omega wins big at AAKA Confab

li

Shown above at the conference are Gamma Rho Omega chapter mem-
bers Mary Brown Vice President, Bonnie Atwater, President and AKA
International Program Committee representative Charletta Wilson Jackson
at the presentation of their award for Excellence in Economic Keys to
Success. In addition, several local members were named to national com-
mittees by new International President of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority
Inc., Carolyn House Stewart, Esq., including Bertha Padgett, Roslyn
Mixon Phillips and Bettye Sessions.

by Phil Wilson health, in public-
Expose white people to the life health lingo --
conditions of poor black folks and their HIV risk
Latinos, and their state of health soars. The HIV
declines tremendously and in life- rate among
threatening ways. whites sky-
This was one of several startling rocketed more
conclusions in a study released on than seven
Monday by the U.S. Centers for times from
Disease Control and Prevention at 0.23 to 1.7 per-
the International AIDS Conference cent, startlingly
in Vienna that looked at race, close to the 2.1
poverty and HIV among heterosex- percent HIV
uals in 23 poor inner-city neighbor- rates faced by
hoods in the United States. blacks and
The study found that when other Latinos in these
racial ethnic groups are confronted neighborhoods.
with the same social and economic Welcome to our
conditions faced by black America.
Americans -- social determinants of Continued on page 5

Why we passed our

Tea Party resolution

by B.T. Jealous
This week at the NAACP annual
convention, we passed over 75 res-
olutions. They addressed critical
issues from education equity, to fix-
ing our broken criminal justice and
immigration systems, to our top pri-
ority: jobs, jobs, jobs.
One resolution, which
was highlighted in my con-
vention speech, created
media frenzy: The unani- ,;
mously passed resolution
demanded that the leader-
ship of the Tea Party repu- -
diate its racist elements and _
make it clear that there is no
space in the organization for big-
otry.
It is unfortunate that at a time
when our nation is reeling in the
midst of one of the most devastat-
ing downturns in our economy
since the Great Depression, the
NAACP is compelled to deal with a
disturbing, corrosive attack from
the Tea Party.
Instead of joining us to repudiate
racism, Tea Party leaders have
attempted a tit for tat and demand-

ed that we condemn the New Black
Panther Party for reported hate
speech. It is a false argument. Of
course we condemn hate speech
from anyone and any organization,
including the New Black Panther
Party. But that party is a mere flea
compared to the influence and size

of the Tea Party. And the New
Black Panther Party is not a mem-
ber of the NAACP. What we are
asking the Tea Party to eschew is
not the racism of some outside
organization, but the bigotry with-
in.
After my speech, I was
approached by a man named Chris,
who asked that his last name not be
used. He's a member of both the
Tea Party and the NAACP. He
thanked Continued on page 9

It's been twenty-five years
since the William M. Raines Class
of 1985 walked the halls of the
northside landmark. To commemo-
rate the occasion, the class officers

recommitted themselves to making
a bevy of activities mark the cele-
bration.
The weekend kicked off at their
alma mater for an old fashioned

crab boil in their old senior court
yard. On Saturday, classmates
enjoyed "Vegas in Jacksonville"
with casino style action at the
Wyndham Riverwalk. Festivities

concluded on Sunday with worship
services at Shiloh Metropolitan
Baptist Church and brunch at the
River City Brewery.

BPR3T ST11)
U.HS.Postage

July 22-28, 2010

Pa 2 Ms. Perrys Free ress

Number of Black

owned business up 61%

The U.S. Commerce
Department's Minority Business
Development Agency (MBDA) and
the U.S. Census Bureau today
announced that the number of
minority-owned firms increased by
46 percent to 5.8 million between
2002 and 2007 according to data
from the Preliminary Estimates of
Business Ownership by Gender,
Ethnicity, Race and Veteran Status:
2007, from the U.S. Census
Bureau's 2007 Survey of Business
Owners.
As the nation's population demo-
graphics change, so too has the
United States business community.
Specifically:
*Between 2002 and 2007, the
number of minority firms grew by
46 percent, compared to 18 percent
for all U.S. firms, and compared to
13.7 percent growth for the minori-
ty population age 18 and older, dur-
ing the same period.
*Minority-owned firms employed
approximately 5.9 million people in
2007, up from 4.7 million in 2002.
*Asian-owned firms grew 41 per-
cent to 1.6 million from 2002.
Asian-owned firms continue to
generate the highest annual gross
receipts at $510.1 billion in 2007,
increasing 56 percent from 2002.
*The number of Hispanic-owned
businesses totaled 2.3 million in
2007, up 44% from 2002. Receipts
for Hispanic firms increased 55
percent to $343.3 billion.
*Black, or African-American-
owned businesses grew to 1.9 mil-
lion firms in 2007, up 61% from
2002 the largest increase among
all minority-owned companies; and
generated $135.6 billion in gross
receipts, up 53 percent from 2002.
*There were 237,203 American
Indian and Alaska Native-owned
businesses in 2007, up 18% from
2002, generating $34.2 billion in
gross receipts, an increase of 27%.
*Native Hawaiian- and Other
Pacific Islander-owned businesses
totaled 38,854 in 2007, up 34 per-
cent from 2002. While these firms'
reported the largest increase in
receipts among all minority-owned
firms in 2002 (63 percent), the total

amount reached only $7 billion.
*Minority-owned firms employed
approximately 5.9 million people in
2007, up from 4.6 million in 2002.
"The data on minority business
growth clearly shows that minority-
owned and operated firms are a sig-
nificant contributor to the long term
health of the United States econo-
my," Hinson said. "We must
aggressively grow minority-owned
firms and assist them in contribut-
ing to President Obama's goal of
doubling exports over the next five
years."
The Obama Administration
established the National Export
Initiative earlier this year to support
export and domestic jobs.
Additionally, the Administration
established the Interagency Task
Force on Federal Contracting
Opportunities for Small
Businesses. This task force will
make recommendations to the
President on how to increase gov-
ernment contracting opportunities
for small and minority-owned busi-
nesses.

by Boyce Watkins, BV
The women of Alpha Kappa
Alpha Sorority, Inc. are in the mid-
dle of a crazy legal situation that
has led to a judge in Chicago to
order the director of the sorority to
bring financial records to the court-
house today. The Chicago Sun-
Times is reporting that Cook
County Judge Daniel Riley seemed
concerned that, for two days in a
row, the person in charge of the
organization's financial record has
refused to show. The newspaper
reports:
"They didn't bring me the person
I asked for twice," the judge said.
This week, Riley had found the
group in contempt of court for fail-
ing to have its records custodian in
court, as he had ordered on
Monday. Instead, the national
sorority sent a human resources
manager Tuesday who said she did-
n't have the records.
gal wrangling has occurred as a
result of a lawsuit filed by members
of the group alleging improper
spending by Barbara A. McKinzie,
the group's president. They are
questioning, among other things,

the $1 million in compensation she
received from the organization. The
judge ruled on July 1 that 94-year-
old Julia Purnell, a former president
and the oldest living former presi-
dent of the organization, could
inspect the financial records.
Purnell, who sued to see the docu-
ments, said she would present her
findings to the organization at the
St. Louis meeting where the sorori-
ty is currently holding its national
meeting. Her attorneys are saying
that the group has refused to give
her access to the records.
I was terribly disappointed to
read about the complex and disturb-
ing legal issues that have laid a
stain on such a storied and respect-
ed organization. Nearly all of the
women in my family are AKAs, and
I know they joined the organization
because it garners so much respect
around the world. While I've not
heard from AKA leadership about
what's going on here, I'll lay out
some simple facts from an outside
observer who also happens to be a
professor of finance:
1) A $1 million in compensation
MUST be explained to your mem-

bership in a clear and transparent
fashion. That's 250 percent more
than the president of the United
States earns in a year, so I would
expect that the membership might
want an explanation for what could
appear to be serious financial mis-
management. If it is not the case
that President McKinzie has done
anything unethical then she must
make it clear that this is not the sit-
uation.
2) I honestly do not understand
the organization's lack of financial
transparency in general. A public
organization with an incredibly
broad membership that refuses to
reveal its financial information,
even at the expense of being held in
contempt of court clearly has some-
thing to hide. Whether there is a
legitimate reason for such evasive
behavior should be up to the mem-
bership to decide. At the very least,
Purnell was right to sue for the
rights to see the financial records
and present her findings to the
organization. There is reason to be
suspicious of the activities of
McKinzie, who has faced tremen-
dous scrutiny for her problematic

Who gets paid what in the Obama White House

President Obama didn't get a
raise last year nor did most of
his senior staff.
That's according to the White
House's latest salary list, which
reports a nearly $39 million annual
payroll. This year, the White House
has made the report, which it files
with Congress every year, available
online for the first time. The list
itemizes the salary and title of
every employee of the White
House, except for the vice presi-
dent's office, which is technically
an arm of the Senate. The pay sheet
also doesn't include Obama, whose
$400,000 annual salary is regulated
by Congress. According to the lat-
est study, the White House current-
ly employs 469 people down 17
positions from 2009.
There are few changes in the
report from last year, in part
because Obama capped the salaries

of any employee making more than
$100,000 a year. According to the
White House, employee salaries
range from $21,000 to nearly
$180,000 a year.
Twenty-three top aides, includ-
ing chief of staff Rahm Emanuel,
press secretary Robert Gibbs,
speechwriter Jon Favreau, White
House counsel Bob Bauer and sen-
ior advisers David Axelrod and
Valerie Jarrett, make the top full-
time staff salary of $172,200. (Two
health-care policy "detailees" -

Michael Hash and Timothy Love
- make $179,700.) By compari-
son, Vice President Joe Biden
makes roughly $230,000 a year,
according to Senate records.
White House social director
Juliana Smoot makes $150,000.
That's $37,000 more than her pred-
ecessor, Desiree Rogers, who left
the administration not long after a
scandal involving party-crashers at
a state dinner in December. Former
Duke basketball star Reggie Love
still makes just over $100,000 as

President Obama's body man. Not
on the list: actor Kal Penn, who left
his job in the White House's Office
of Public Engagement on June 1 to
film the third sequel in the "Harold
& Kumar" film series.
Most so-called rank-and-file
members of the White House staff
pull in an average income between
$40,000 and $60,000 including
dozens of "staff assistants," press
aides, analysts and researchers.
Three people are listed as work-
ing for free.

leadership style. In fact, a judge
wrote this about McKinzie earlier
this year:
This case is largely about several
disgruntled AKA members disillu-
sioned with what they see as an
increasingly opaque, authoritarian
and self-serving leadership in their
organization. The question remains,
however, whether such behavior
warrants judicial intervention.
3) Most impressive is the 94-
year-old Pumell. Yes, Dorothy
Height was a great woman, but it
appears that Julia Purnell possesses
an equally strong fighting spirit.
When a 94-year-old woman fights
this hard to do what she feels is
right for her organization, she is
sending a clear signal that her moti-
vations are driven by the longevity
of the sorority she loves so much.
At the very least, I presume she did
not pay herself a $1 million in
salary when she ran the organiza-
tion, so her motivations were likely
not financial.
The bottom line is that McKinzie,
by appearing to withhold valuable
information from her organization's
membership, is making it seem that
she is making herself wealthy at the
organization's expense. (For that
much money, I'd be willing to serve
as president of the KKK.) I am not
one to say that this is the case, but
the truth is that she needs to "fess
up." When you take a $1 million
from a group and then don't explain
why you did it that's going to cer-
tainly and justifiably raise some
eyebrows.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder
of the Your Black World Coalition
and a Scholarship in Action resident
of the Institute for Black Public
Policy.

How to buy

insurance online

The days of the face to face insur-
ance salesman are over.
Thanks to the Internet, millions
of people are buying every kind of
insurance online, and while the auto
insurance industry may have it
down to a science, consumer expe-
riences with life and disability
insurance may vary.
One giant pitfall is that many
companies and broker sites require
that people enter their names, email
addresses and phone numbers to get
life insurance quotes. This almost
always leads to your email box fill-
ing up and your phone ringing off
the hook as multiple agents contact
you to buy policies. Other sites
show customers low quotes that
may be unrealistic, and then
requote to higher rates as they get
more information from the cus-
tomer. So, buying life and disabili-
ty insurance online can still be rife
with pitfalls.
Below are a list of tips to help
avoid the insurance e-trap.
Make sure the insurance Web
site you choose is not from a sin-
gle insurance company When
you get a quote from a single insur-
ance company, all you're getting is
that one insurance company's idea
of what you can pay. There is no
competitive analysis that you can
do with a single quote. Moreover,
you could wind up getting inundat-
ed with emails and calls from that
company to see you about that one
policy. The way to win at online
insurance shopping is to get multi-
ple quotes, without having to give
up your personal information.
Choose a site with multiple
companies represented -- When
you choose a site that offers quotes
from a great number of multiple
companies, you'll be able to assess
your best deal based on multiple
sources. This is much better for
people who want choices and abili-
ty to make their own decisions.
Check financial ratings and

strength -- The recent financial cri-
sis hit a great number of the major
insurance companies, so don't
choose based on reputation alone.
Check their financial strength rat-
ings with the consumer advocate
sites as well as financial ratings
companies like A.M. Best. Many of
the ratings of reputable firms may
have changed during the recession.
Also, consumer advocacy sites also
rate firms based on customer serv-
ice, which is a key component of
buying insurance. Getting a good
rate is important, but if the cus-
tomer service lags, then what are
you really paying for?
Be careful of rate quote "Bait
and Switch" -- Some companies
might quote you the best possible
quote initially based on incomplete
information, and by the time they
walk you through all the nuances of
the policy and your health history,
you may wind up with a much
higher bill than anticipated. If your
quote does not take into account
your height and weight and answers
to basic health questions, then it's
possible that you've been baited
with an artificially low rate.
Check for electronic signa-
tures -- Online consumers want
convenience. How convenient is it
to shop online, but then be required
to go to a local office to sign all the
paperwork and complete your
transaction. Some sites are shifting
to accepting electronic signatures to
complete their insurance transac-
tions. This is a time-saving conven-
ience that online shoppers should
expect from insurance Web sites.
The simple truth is that insurance
companies do not need your name,
email address or phone number to
offer you a genuine quote for life
insurance, so don't fall for this.
Demand good service and free
quotes from a large number of
choices -- it's what's best for the
consumer and its good business for
insurance companies.

Major legal problems for AKA

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Governor appoints Art Graham

to Public Service Commmission

Hill joins Omega brothers

in donating $30,000 to Haiti

Art Graham
Gov. Charlie Crist took to heart
concerns raised by lawmakers
about a lack of diversity on the
Public Service Commission, nam-
ing two African-Americans, Rep.
Ronald Brise and Jacksonville City
Councilman Art Graham to the
panel.
The pair will have to be confirmed
by lawmakers, but they will imme-
diately assume the seats vacated by
David Klement and Benjamin
"Steve" Stevens, who failed to gain
Senate confirmation earlier this
year. While some lawmakers cited
concerns that Crist had created an
all-white panel when naming them,
others claimed Klement and
Stevens ran into trouble because
they voted against rate increases for
the state's two largest power com-
panies.

When Crist appointed Klement
and Stevens last fall at the height of
a conflict-of-interest scandal at the
PSC, he passed over an application
for re-appointment from former
chairman Matthew Carter, who was
at the time the panel's lone African-
American.
But in announcing the picks of
Brise and Graham Wednesday,
Crist focused on their backgrounds,
not their race.
"Art has a great track record of pub-
lic service during the past 12 years,
and as a councilman, he has already
worked to protect utility con-
sumers," Crist said of Graham, 46,
in a statement. "His experience in
the private sector has given him an
understanding of the importance of
ensuring the private sector's
responsible use of resources."
Graham, a native of the suburbs of
Atlanta, Ga. and an environmental
consultant by trade, has a history
with Crist. After running unsuc-
cessfully in the 2009 Senate special
election won by Sen. John
Thrasher, Crist reappointed
Graham to the Jacksonville City
Council seat he had given up.
In his PSC application, Graham
touted his role on the City Council
in overseeing the city's municipal
electric company JEA, as well as
his work with wastewater manage-
ment at Georgia Pacific, where he
served as an engineer.

Michael
Thurmond, com-
missioner of the
Department of
Labor, is one of
Georgia's best
kept secrets. The
state's first
Thurmond A f r i c a n
American Labor Commissioner, he

has held the office for three consec-
utive four year terms Thurmond
took the lead in this weeks Georgia
primary election for the Democratic
seat for the U.S. Senate.
A fixture on the state political
scene for the last twenty five years,
Thurmond is one of the few black
politicians in Georgia who have
risen from to prominence outside of

Shown above (L-R) are brothers Warren Lee, Grand Basilus, Omega
Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Haitian Ambassador Raymond A. Joseph, Al
Rosier, Omega Charity Foundation Chair and Sen. Tony Hill.
Senator Tony Hill, joined his mega Psi Phi brothers Grand Basilus,
Warren Lee, and the fraternity's Charity Foundation's executives as they
visited the home of Haitian Ambassador, Raymond A. Joseph last week to
present a check on behalf of the National Chapter of Omega Psi Phi
Fraternity, Inc. The $30,000.00 is to be utilized to help the people of Haiti
who are still suffering from the severe earthquake which hit the island of
Haiti several months ago. The fraternity also pledged to donate an addi-
tional $20,000.00 by the end of July 2010.

Georgia's first Black senator

Atlanta, Savannah, Macon,
Columbus, or Albany.
After turning down a position in
the Obama Administration with the
Department of Labor, Thurmond
made his ambitions known. In
1986, he became the first African-
American elected to the Georgia
General Assembly since
Reconstruction. Thurmond was

elected Labor Commissioner in
November 1998 and was re-elected
in 2002 and in 2006. He is also the
author of two books A Story
Untold: Black Men and Women in
Athens History and Freedom: An
African American History of
Georgia are both historical treatises
about the lives of influential
African Americans in the state.

Predatory lending named a 'civil rights issue' to lawmakers

Predatory lending in the African-
American community is the main
civil rights issue of this era, wit-
nesses told a House Judiciary sub-
committee this week
U.S. Reps. Steve Cohen and
Sheila Jackson Lee listened to nine
witnesses discuss foreclosures and
bankruptcies during a field hearing
heldat the University of Memphis'
law school. Cohen is the chairman
of the House Subcommittee on
Commercial and Administrative
Law.
The location was significant
because Memphis has sued Wells
Fargo, accusing the lender of con-
tributing to urban blight by target-
ing predominantly black neighbor-
hoods to sell high-risk, high-cost
subprime mortgages that resulted in
foreclosure.

During his testimony, Memphis
attorney Webb Brewer said dis-
criminatory or predatory lending
has done more than anything else to
reverse financial gains made by
African-Americans since the begin-
ning of the civil rights movement.
"It is the civil rights issue of the
era," said Brewer, an attorney rep-
resenting Memphis in its lawsuit
against Wells Fargo.
Later in the hearing, Lee, D-
Texas, asked Steve Lockwood, a
community development director in
the Memphis suburb of Frayser, if
he agreed that predatory lending
was the key civil rights issue of our
time. Lockwood said he did.
"Nobody paid attention to preda-
tory lending until Wall Street was
affected," Lockwood said.
Foreclosures remain a national

problem, with more than 1 million
American households likely to lose
their homes to bank repossessions
this year, according to RealtyTrac
Inc., a foreclosure listing service.
In Memphis, more than one-
fourth of single family homes had a
foreclosure notification from 2000
to 2009, according to a University
of Memphis report. The city lost
7,000 homeowners from 2005 to
2008, with foreclosure claiming
two-thirds of those households.
Empty homes with boarded win-
dows, unkempt lawns and trash-
filled sidewalks line some Memphis
neighborhoods where foreclosures
are high. Some of these homes have
become fire risks or magnets for
crime. And residents who have kept
up with mortgages have seen their
homes decline in value because

they live near foreclosed properties.
A glut of empty homes also leads
to a drop in property taxes, which
account for 62 percent of the city's
revenue, Memphis Mayor A C
Wharton told the two House mem-
bers.
In its lawsuit, Memphis claims 51
percent of loans made by Wells
Fargo to black Shelby County
households between 2004 and 2008
were subprime loans, while only 17
percent of mortgages made to white
households in the same years were
subprime. Between 2000 and 2008,
the foreclosure rate on Wells Fargo
loans in predominantly African-

American neighborhoods in
Memphis was eight times greater
than in mostly white neighbor-
hoods, the lawsuit alleges.
The lawsuit also claims Wells
Fargo used aggressive marketing
tactics, offering quick cash and loan
consolidation, while failing to give
borrowers details about rate adjust-
ments during the life of the loan or
balloon payments at the end of the
term.
Wells Fargo says the lawsuit
makes untrue claims and is an
attempt to discredit the company
and seek damages.
"It places blame for the city's

challenges where it doesn't belong,"
Wells Fargo said in a statement.
In other testimony, U.S. bank-
ruptcy judges David Kennedy and
Jennie Latta said they support
changing federal law to allow
homeowners facing foreclosure to
modify their mortgages in bank-
ruptcy court.
Current bankruptcy law does not
allow judges to "cram down," or
adjust, mortgages on a debtor's pri-
mary residence. An effort to change
the law died last year in the U.S.
Senate, but the issue could again be
raised in the U.S.'House.

Who would have thought? Garrett Morgan did in 1923. The Traffic Signal, developed by Garrett Morgan.
-(4.: is just one of the many life-changing innovations that came fiom the mind of anAfincanAmerican.
We must do all we can to support minority education today, so we don't miss out on the next "
big idea tomorrow. To find out more about African American innovators and to support the United -_
Negro College Fund, visit us at uncf.org or call 1-800-332-UNCF. A mind is a terrible thing to waste.

How do you buy an
How do you buy an election in be in the hotel lobby when Greene
the state of Florida? Don't ask me showed up. He looked more like a
ask Rick Scott and Jeff Greene. movie star than political with his
These gentlemen have taken per- entourage.
sonal campaign finance to another Maybe Greene still thinks that
level, he's in Hollywood, and I'm not
This happens around the country talking about Hollywood, Florida.
from time to time, but it seems like By the way, he has only lived in the
some of the most unique political Sunshine state since 2008.
scenarios happen in Florida. He's been photographed in the
Florida, my home sweet home. Caribbean hanging with everyone's
And also past home to the hanging favorite party girl, Lindsay Lohan,
chad or was that the pregnant chad last New Year's Eve in St. Barth.
- I guess it was both. Florida was Greene says that he's proven that
the state that basically decided the he's a successful businessman. Yes,
presidency in 2000. President and he has also proven that making
Bush, George W. Bush that is, money at the expense of others is a
should always have a fond place in great way to get rich.
his heart for our sunshine state. Regardless of his background
Florida has been a critical swing and vision, he is clearly a serious
state for some time now. threat to Kendrick Meek's cam-
Sometimes we are blue and some- paign for U.S. Senate. A few
times we go red. The last three months ago it seemed like a fore-
presidents have won in this critical gone conclusion that Meek would
state, and Republicans fully recog- be the Democratic nominee fast
nize its importance. The forward to today and the race has
Republican Convention in 2012 changed drastically thanks to sev-
will be held in Tampa. eral millions spent on TV and
Now that I think about it, I guess direct mail by Greene.
Charlie Crist won't be invited to It's been reported that Greene
that party, sent a direct mail campaign
I love politics, but the personal brochure to every single registered
finance of elections and spending Democrat in the state. That's
millions of your own money is not unheard of.
how the traditional election process I can understand sending mail to
works. maybe every Democratic house-
No, I am not that big on tradition, hold, but to every individual that is
but there's something sort of dirty a registered Democrat? Wow, that's
about dropping $10 million of your an expensive endeavor.
own money on a campaign. In a poll released last week by
But I guess that's simply play Quinnipiac University, it showed
money when you are a billionaire. Greene trailing Meek by two per-
In fact, Jeff Greene is actually centage points 27 to 29 percent.
ranked 317th on the Forbes list of The poll also showed that Gov.
richest Americans. He made his Crist, the independent candidate,
money in the mortgage industry, leading with 37%, Marco Rubio,
and as the subprime loan industry the Republican nominee, had 33%,
started falling apart his pockets and Meek a distant third with 17%.
started filling up. So back to the question of how
At last weekend's annual you buy an election well, you
Democratic Party fundraiser in should now have an understanding
South Florida, I just so happened to of how it is done.

election in Florida?

For Meek, it becomes a matter of
holding on to his Democratic base
and showing a stark contrast
between himself and Greene.
Meek has the reputation and grass-
roots network, and has raised a
respectable amount of money -
$5.7 million.
While some are beginning to
write Meek off and in favor of
Crist, I still think that he can win
the Democratic primary. I have to
think that voters will see through
Greene's "green" and support a
more traditional Democrat.
If Meek doesn't win, it will be
another reminder that it is extreme-
ly difficult for African Americans
to win statewide races. Only a
handful has ever done it throughout
our country's history.
Florida has never supported an
African American candidate for a
statewide election.
Of the five blacks running in
statewide races this election cycle
only one is projected to win. Mass.
Governor Deval Patrick is up for
reelection, and is only the second
African American governor in our
nation's history.

What's even more interesting
about Patrick's reelection bid is that
he would become the first black
elected governor to win a second
term.
Switching gears to the
Governor's race: Rick Scott and
Jeff Greene are obviously using the
same playbook. Scott is using his
own personal money to get in the
game. A few months ago it was
another foregone conclusion that
the state's Attorney General Bill
McCollum would be the
Republican nominee for Governor.
Enter Rick Scott, another billion-
aire or if not billionaire close to it,
and the landscape of the
Republican primary has changed
overnight.
With no political experience,
Rick Scott has surged to a 44 31
percent lead over McCollum in
another Quinnipiac poll that was
conducted last month. To introduce
himself to voters, Scott spent sever-
al million on a television ad blitz.
Again, how do you simply buy
an election... need I say more?
Signing off from Hollywood -
Florida that is, Reggie Fullwood

Jackson fouls out on LeBron and Race

by E.O.
Hutchinson
Jesse Jackson
should be
slapped with a
sixth foul and a
fast ejection from
the Lebron James
game. Jackson
should get the
much deserved boot for shoving
race into an issue that has absolute-
ly nothing to do with race. Jackson
likened Cleveland Cavs owner Dan
Gilbert's much publicized open let-
ter tirade against James for jumping
ship in Cleveland to treating James
as a "runaway slave." Jackson's
much of the media is still
profoundly conditioned to
believe that all blacks thin
act and sway to the same
racial beat.

race card sound bite would have
gotten a splashy news note if he had
stopped there. But Jackson couldn't
let it go at that. He demanded that
the league chastise Gilbert for his
James outburst. That's hyperbole
and neither Gilbert, the NBA, nor
James bothered to dignify the
inanity with a response.
Jackson didn't bother to explain
how a slave, let alone a runaway

slave, can orchestrate their own
media self-coronation. Or, how a
slave can have the entire sports
media genuflect in front of him,
shove the BP spill, financial reform
bill, and looming immigration
reform debate, and the Oscar Grant
shooting case verdict off the front
page for a day. Nor did he say, how
a slave can get a president, a slew
of senators, and congresspersons,
and Florida's governor to gush on
about the importance of James's
announcement. And certainly, no
slave can turn an entire city
(Miami) gaga over his decision to
head their way, and stir excitement
that he will create jobs, boost
tourism, and business revenues
to the tune of tens of millions
dollars for an entire region.
k, The Jackson race play with
James was more than a desper-
ate grab to snatch a moment of
media limelight. That could
easily be flicked aside and for-
gotten. But Jackson is still regarded
in some circles as the bellwether for
black opinion. That's not a good
thing since much of the media is
still profoundly conditioned to
believe that all blacks think, act and
sway to the same racial beat. They
freely use the words and deeds of
the chosen black leader as the stan-
dard for African-American behav-
ior. When the beleaguered chosen

one makes a real or contrived mis-
step, he or she becomes the whip-
ping boy among many whites, and
blacks are blamed for being rash,
foolhardy, irresponsible and prone
to shuffle the race card on every
social ill that befalls them.

Jackson's twist of the James
flight from Cleveland into an issue
of black victimization fits that bill.
The issue in the James wildly
inflated media overkill saga is the
media's insatiable thirst to make
athletes and entertainers demi-
gods, turn millions of fans and even
the disinterested into celebrity
peeping toms, and then cash in on
the ratings surge (and of course
increased advertising revenue)
from the hype.
James understands how the
media hype game is played, and
simply elevated himself to a
pedestal higher than the other ath-
lete demi-gods with his self- cele-
bratory ESPN special. To Jackson,
these are all mere trifles. What
counted was that he got a chance to
pop off on the one and only issue
that was guaranteed to get a dab of
media ink, namely James and race.
He deserves the bench for that.
Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and
political analyst. His new book is How
Obamna Governed: The Year of Crisis and
Challenge (Middle Passage Press).

J b a Congressional Joint
Economic Committee
Job s and unemployment rates
are at least double to
those of their White
Jt* counterparts.
|* Similar to jobless-
Justice: ness, the lack of justice
in the Black communi-
ty remains a significant
Th n a d N W issue The most widely
She n and No publicized case was the

by Gary L. Flowers

On August 28, 1963, during the
"Civil Rights Movement", a rain-
bow of people-Red, Yellow,
Brown, Black, and White-traveled
to Washington, DC to protest the
lack of Jobs and Justice for African
Americans. Forty-seven years later
not much has changed in some
ways, but a lot has in other ways.
Joblessness in the Black commu-
nity may be worse than the rate in
1963. The number of African
Americans unemployed is officially
doubled the national average. In
many cities and towns across the
nation unemployment is 20, 30, 40,
50, and even 60 percent.
In early July, the Congressional
Black Caucus held a hearing citing
the national issue of African
American unemployment.
According to a report by the

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acquittal of three New
York police officers
accused of unjustifi-
ably shooting to death Sean Bell on
his wedding day three years ago.
The organizers of the 1963 March
on Washington (A. Philip
Randolph, Bayard Rustin, Doctors
Dorothy Height and Martin Luther
King, Jr.) used the backdrop of
President Lincoln's Memorial to
challenge the United States govern-
ment to live up to its promise of
equal justice for all, regardless of
race, religion or resources. The
issue platform of Jobs and Justice
was predicated on the moral injus-
tice of racism and the importance of
the federal government enforcing
the law equally.
For example, when Dr. King said
that the words "nullification and
interposition" that "dripped" from
the mouths of southerners violated
America's promise to all of her citi-
zens. Using a states' rights argu-

ment, most southern states
(Virginia, Alabama, North and
South Carolina, Mississippi,
Georgia) viewed federal desegrega-
tion laws enforced by the federal
government as a violation of their
"sovereign" rights to enact and
enforce laws as they chose. In par-
ticular, those who believed in
states' rights forty-seven years ago
argued that states had the right to
"nullify" federal laws due to "inter-
position" by "big government."
Today, Glenn Beck and his Tea
Party followers are today's states'
rights segregationists who believe
the federal government has no right
to interfere with the right of states
to enact and enforce racially and
ethnically laws. The most infamous
example is the recent law in
Arizona permitting police officers
to randomly stop persons suspected
of not being a United States citizen,
the effect of which will be to unjust-
ly profile people of Brown or Black
skin.
In maybe the most perverse trans-
versal of good to bad messaging
Glen Beck has the audacity to claim
that the spirit of the 1963 march as
articulated by Dr. King is consistent
with issue platform of Tea Party
members. Wrong!
The ideas behind the Civil Rights
Movement-then and now--could
not be more polarized to the ones
Continued on page 11

What are we to do about racism?
Earlier this year, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored
People passed leadership to what they are calling "the next generation of
civil and human rights activists". Forty-four year old Roslyn M. Brock is
now Chairman of the venerable organization and 39 year-old Benjamin Todd
Jealous is CEO. So, many are wondering what was in their minds when they
allowed a resolution during their conference in Kansas City, Mo. calling on
Tea Party activists to "repudiate the racist element and activities" within the
political movement. Their reports alleged that the Tea Party has used racial
epithets against President Barack Obama and verbally and physically abused
African-American members of Congress. The resolution's actual language
will remain secret until it is approved later this year by the national board.
Reactions to the resolution proposals are flying fast and furious. For an
organization with the legacy of the NAACP to say that the Tea Party
Movement has some racist elements is like saying "institutionalized racism
exits in America". The NAACP leaders sat themselves up for ridicule across
a spectrum of mediums that allow the institutions of America's institutional-
ized system to say that such an aberration "does not exist". Racism is alive
and living across America, that there racism is present within some quarters
of the Tea Party movement shouldn't really surprise anyone. The surprise is
the NAACP attacking a popular movement instead of aligning with them.
The Tea Party is a national political success. It is a protest movement against
government, and its practices, that now has millions of members whose phi-
losophy is much more libertarian than racist.
The Tea Party has fundraising apparatus that could benefit the NAACP.
Roslyn Brock and Ben Jealous are at its helm because the NAACP is losing
its membership base and needs more attention among younger and upward-
ly-mobile African-Americans, for whom the civil rights movement is more
a chapter in a history text than a searing memory. Brock's goal is "to ensure
that the policies, programs and politics of the NAACP are relevant to get
young people involved". Surely, pursuits they "get involved" should be pos-
itive as opposed to negative.
Political parties help define potential voters' beliefs and positions on
important issues and use their strength in numbers to get candidates who
share those views elected into office. The momentum that is fueling the Tea
Party is based on similar frustrations with ineffective government that
Blacks have. Black or White, Obama, or a Democratic-led Congress, posi-
tive changes are needed. It's not just racism that cause millions of
Americans to hold the President's and Members of Congress' job perform-
ances in low esteem.
Ms. Brock and Mr. Jealous may want to join with former Speaker of the
House Newt Gingrich in what he could be "a relevant moment" in American
politics. Instead of going against the tide, the NAACP may want to go with
it. An early Tea Party leader, Gingrich wants to help "draw both organiza-
tions toward finding solutions to America's most pressing problems".
Gingrich wants local level leaders of the Tea Party to approach the local
chapters of the NAACP with an open invitation to co-host town hall meet-
ings on the subject of "America's future". Why not? Such an idea could be
to the betterment of all. For an organization that has had hard times, such
combined agenda, activities and events can help generate membership for
each at the grassroots level and it could be the beginning real and meaning-
ful dialogues on taxes, job creation, education and other issues that are
important in the real life space that both communities occupy.
The NAACP's ire with the Tea Partyers may stem from the rally Glenn
Beck's Tea Party plans on the same day and same site Rev. Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech nearly 50 years ago. After
being bum rushed by Beck with his "Restoring Honor" event Aug. 28th at
the Lincoln Memorial, the NAACP and civil rights groups have to hold their
events at the unfinished MLK monument.

Ms. Perry's Free Press Page 5

July 22-28,

Harvard scholar Henry Louis
Gates Jr. and the police sergeant
who arrested him last July after a
confrontation outside his home both
missed opportunities to "ratchet
down" the situation and end things
more calmly, according to a review
of the case released Wednesday.
The independent review said
"misunderstandings and failed
communications" and a "certain
degree of fear" each man had for
the other led to the six-minute dis-
pute that ended with the renowned
black scholar being placed in hand-
cuffs by the veteran white
Cambridge police sergeant.

Sgt. James Crowley arrested

Aids and poverty
continued from page 1
The study included black,
Hispanic and white heterosexuals
who are not intravenous-drug users
or prostitutes in 23 cities, living in
neighborhoods disproportionately
impacted by both poverty and HIV.
Seventy-seven percent of the par-
ticipants were black, 15 percent
were Hispanic, 4 percent were
white and 3 percent represented
other races. The majority of the res-
idents in the communities surveyed
were black.
Some media organizations have
looked at these data and have erro-
neously concluded that race is not a
factor in HIV transmission. This is
a false analysis and an absurd and
dangerous conclusion. The point is
not whether race or poverty mat-
ters; the point is that race and
poverty matter. Black people are
disproportionately affected by
HIV/AIDS. This research tells us
that one of the reasons is that so
many of us are poor or extremely
poor. In fact, study participants
whose household income was
$10,000 per year were seven times
as likely to have HIV as those
whose household income was
$50,000.
A 1999 study, partially funded by
U.S. Department of Agriculture,
reported that nine out of 10 black
Americans who reach age 75 spend
at least one of their adult years in
poverty. By age 25, the findings
show, 48.1 percent of black
Americans have experienced at
least one year in poverty. By age
40, the number grows to two-
thirds, and to more than three-
fourths by age 50. More than 90
percent will have lived below the
poverty line by age 75. Poverty is
defined as a family of four having a
household income of less than
$20,650 per year.
The Department of Agriculture
researchers say that by age 28, the
black population has reached the
cumulative level of lifetime pover-
ty that the white population arrives
at by age 75. "In other words,
blacks have experienced in nine
years the same risk of poverty that
whites experience in 56 years," the
report stated. While these data are
10 years old, nothing has happened
to improve the situation. In fact,
between hurricanes Katrina and
Rita and the economic meltdown,
things quite likely have gotten
worse.
But even money does not protect
black people from HIV/AIDS.
More than any other racial or ethnic
group, our sexual relationships
cross socioeconomic lines.
Moreover, a large body of research
shows that even black people with
insurance and high income are
more likely to experience poor
health than their similarly situated
white peers. Whether they seek
care for heart disease, cancer or
even a heart transplant, they, like
their low-income black counter-
parts, cannot escape structural
determinants of health reflected as
racism in medicine. Making mat-
ters worse, racism itself contributes
to poor health and early death.
So does poverty matter? Of
course. But to pretend that race is
not a huge factor affecting who is
poor in America is naive at best and
maliciously racist at worst. The fact

that virtually every black American
will experience poverty at some
point during his or her adulthood
speaks volumes about AIDS in
America.
Phill Wilson is the president and CEO of
the Black AIDS Institute, the only national
HIV/AIDS think tank in the United States
focused exclusively on black people.

Gates for disorderly conduct at his
Cambridge home July 16 while
investigating a possible burglary.
Gates alleged he was a victim of
racial profiling. Charges were later
dropped.
The conflict sparked a national
debate on race relations, and
President Barack Obama invited
both men to the White House for a
"beer summit."
The situation at Gates' home
quickly escalated when it shouldn't
have, according to the review put
together by a 12-member panel
assembled in September. The panel
was made up of law enforcement
personnel, academics, and experts
on race relations and conflict reso-
lution, none of whom had direct ties
to the Cambridge Police
Department.
The report suggests that Crowley
could have more clearly explained
what he was doing and why he was
doing it, especially after being
shown Gates' license and university
ID. For his part, Gates could have
used a more respectful tone to
address the officer.
Neither man, in interviews with
the panel, said he would have acted
differently.
The incident was a "textbook
example of how a police officer and

a member of the community can
clash if they do not share a sense of
responsibility," according to the
report.
The panel made 10 recommenda-
tions for avoiding similar incidents
in the future, including better train-
ing for police in de-escalating con-
flicts, as well as more outreach to
the public and academic communi-
ty to teach understanding of the
police department's job.
Gates turned down a request to
comment on the report when con-
tacted via e-mail, deferring com-
ments to his lawyer and fellow
Harvard professor Charles
Ogletree.
Ogletree said while the report
contained some "impressive recom-
mendations about going forward,"
he was disappointed that it left out
contradictions between the police
accounts of the call they got from a
passer-by to report the incident and
the actual transcript of her call. For
example, the passer-by never men-
tioned that the people she saw on
the porch of the home were black
and never made any assumptions of
criminality, Ogletree said.
He said it also plays down the
fact that Gates was arrested after
showing Crowley his license, with
his address, to prove his identity.

4 -

Shown above (L-R) is instructor Chef Patty Beard graduate Derell
Jackson and Clara White Mission CEO Ju'Coby Pittman-Peele.
Clara White Mission's award winning
program graduates 34 into the workforce
The Clara White Mission recently graduated thirty-four janitorial and
culinary arts students who were previously homeless, veterans and/or an
ex-offender. The class participants include 17 Janitorial-Environmental
students and 17 Culinary Arts students. The festive ceremony was held at
Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church.
The Mission's Culinary Arts/Janitorial-Environmental Training Program
provides students with a broad range of educational experiences, combin-
ing intensive hands-on job training, and classroom instruction to reinforce
learning. Upon completion of the training program, graduates have the
necessary skills to secure entry to mid-level employment in these specific
fields. Curriculum for both vocational training tracks has been licensed by
the State of Florida Commission of Independent Education.
The 106 year old non-profit has evolved from a soup kitchen to a com-
munity development center that trains and helps previously homeless and
low-income individuals who are struggling to get their life back to become
independent and stable. This class recently garnered national recognition
and received $50,000 from the Pepsi Refresh Campaign.

When it comes to managing your money, the key is finding the right balance. SunTrust can help with everything from fast
access to funds to daily balance alerts so you can budget effectively, save automatically and manage stress. To find out
more about how you can stay in control of your finances, visit suntrust.com/solid, call 800.SUNTRUST or stop by any branch
to speak with a SunTrust representative.

Jobs Bill
WASHINGTON (NNPA) The
fate of a $112 billion jobs bill that
would provide relief for struggling
states and fresh unemployment ben-
efits for the nation's jobless, faced
new life as the Senate reconvened on
Tuesday.
Republicans, who believe its pas-
sage would lead to an unmanageable
level of additional national debt,
have been stalling the bill. But
Democrats are hopeful that the
appointment of Carte Goodwin to
fill the seat vacated by the death of
Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W. Va.) will
provide the vote needed to release
the bill from a stall generated by
Senate Republicans.
Goodwin, once a key staff member
for West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin,
is to be sworn in as the interim sena-
tor and is expected to vote in favor
of the bill, in the face of Republican
opposition.
According to The Washington Post,
the measure would also have pro-
tected doctors from a drastic cut in
Medicare rates scheduled to be
enacted on June 18, and would have
offered emergency unemployment
benefits to over 5 million people. As
a result of the blocking of the bill, an
estimated 1.2 million people stopped
receiving checks at the close of June.

11..I-. MI10 in

Pne6 s. errys Fee Pess uly22-2, 210

'0000

Pastor M. L. Drinks to

Celebrate 17th Anniversary
quet and celebration will begin at 6
p.m. at The Ramada Conference
. Center, 3130 Hartley Road,
Mandarin. For banquet reserva-
tions and tickets, please call Sherry
Maxwell at (904) 765-0827 or 534-
0679.
/ The community is invited to join
the congregation of Christ Temple
I Ministries as they Honor this Man
/ of God in His Due Season, Sunday,
August 1, 2010. Sunday School
begins at 9:45 a.m.; Morning
Worship at 11 a.m.
In preparation for Christ Temple
Pastor M. L. Drinks Ministries Anniversary a delicious
The Believers of Christ Temple meal including Fish, Potato Salad,
Ministries, will honor Pastor M.L. Baked Beans, Bread, Cake and
Drinks on the occasion of his 17th
Drinks on the occasion of his 17th more will be for sale from 10 a.m. to
Church and Pastor Anniversary, 3 p.m., Saturday, July 24th, please
Saturday, July 31, 2010. The ban- call 765-0827.

Praise Party on the Pearl
Join the central Metropolitan Christian Methodist Episcopal Church,
"Central the Pearl" in their week long Praise Party beginning August 9-13.
There will be nightly study of the word with Vacation Bible School with
classes for all ages. On Friday night, the congregations will celebrate by
worshiping God with their head, heart, hands and feet. If you are interest-
ed in celebrating by displaying the talent that God has given you (Praise
Dance, Gospel Comedian Step Team, gospel Rap Mime, contact the church
with your name/group, church affiliation, pastor's name and contact num-
ber by July 26, 2010 at 354-7426. Central Metropolitan Christian
Methodist Episcopal Church, 4611 North Pearl St. Jacksonville, Florida
322006, Clarence Kelby Heath, Pastor

New Beginnings Church
and Pastor Anniversary
New Beginning" Soul Saving Ministry and Bishop A. Spawling would like
to invite all to their church and Pastor Anniversary. Service will be July 21,
22 and 23rd at 7:00 Sunday July 25 there will be two services at 11 a.m. and
4 p.m. The church is located at 5214 North Pearl St. Pearl Plaza

Seeking the lost for Christ
Matthew 28:19 20

Pastor Landon Williams

501C3 Training at Perez Ministries
Pastor Zelma Dickerson and Perez Ministries Int. will be hosting a 501C3
training on July 24, 2010 at 9:00am. The event will take place at 902 S.
Edgewood Ave. Training will be held on how to complete paperwork and
maintain a non exempt statue. For more information call (904) 384-9848.

Appreciation at Summerville
for Rev. Levett Jackson
An appreciation service will be held by Rev. Levett Jackson on Sunday,
July 25th at Summerville Missionary Baptist Church at 5 p.m. The junior
choir will kick off the worship service at 11 a.m. and invite all formal and
current members to attend. The church is located at 620 W. 20th Street and
Pastored by Dr. James W. Henry For more information call 598-0510.

Audition for The Crucible
Limelight Theater will hold auditions for Arthur Miller's "The Crucible"
July 25 and July 26 at 6:00ppm. The director will be casting eleven men
ages 20 to 70 and ten women from ages 16 to 70. For more information visit
www.limelight-theater.org.

Donations needed by MMM
Million More Movement Jacksonville Local Organizing Committee, Inc
is asking the public to donate clothes hangers, shoes all size and school sup-
plies to their Clothes Give-Away. These items can be dropped off at 916
Myrtle Ave, Monday-Friday between the hours of 9 a.m. till 5 p.m. For
more information visit www.jaxloc.org.

"Filling the Gap" to be
shown at Stage Aurora
Stage Aurora, located in Gateway Plaza Mall, is the setting for showing
of the historical film entitle "Filling The Gap" a forgotten part of American
History,. The film is extremely well done. It was produced as an educational
resource for churches, libraries, museums and schools. The film will be
shown Saturday July 24, 2010 For additional information call 765-7372

Public service employee game at Raines
The Public Service Employee (Police, Fire and Transportation) Charity
Basketball Tournament will be held on July 31, 2010 at Williams M. Raines
High School, 3663 Raines Ave. Jacksonville, Fl. 32209.
The game begins at 9 a.m. and will include half time activities, drawings,
prizes, money ball half court shot, free throw competition and a free 45
minute basketball mini clinic for 14 and under.
For more information please call Mr. Simmons 868-6856.

Clergy fairing

well in tough

economy
Compensation for full-time
Southern Baptist pastors is rising
slightly faster than inflation, but the
mounting cost of benefits is forcing
churches to provide fewer pastors
with medical insurance.
These and other findings are part
of the SBC Church Compensation
Study, a survey of 11,674 staff posi-
tions in Southern Baptist churches.
Adjusting for church size (see
Methodology), the average full-
time Southern Baptist senior pas-
tor's compensation (salary and
housing) rose 0.78 percent between
2008 and 2010.
With no adjustments for church
size, compensation for other full-
time staff ministers increased 3.08
percent between 2008 and 2010,
while compensation for full-time
office personnel increased 7.86 per-
cent.

a- ,o I F J. *,
Nearly a half-century later, his statement about church segregation still is
largely true.
For (Martin Luther) King and other Christian theologians, the tragedy of
church segregation was both political one more sign of the racial divide
still prevalent in America in the late 20th century and theological.
Christianity was supposed to break down racial barriers.
In his New Testament letter to the church at Galatia, the apostle Paul
wrote, "For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed your-
selves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek" Jew and Greek, for
Paul meant different races "for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
It was, and remains, a grand statement of how the Christian church, by def-
inition, breaks down racial distinctions and sweeps them away. That hasn't
happened in America.
While congregations have become more ethnically and racially diverse,
the integration has been modest. And it has been mostly a one-way street:
More blacks are attending white churches but not vice versa, according to
Mark Chaves, a professor of sociology, religion and divinity at Duke
University and director of the National Congregations Study.
Chaves said there has been a significant increase in the presence of some
minorities in predominantly white congregations.
But there has been no corresponding trend within predominantly black
churches. Those churches are no more likely to have whites or Latinos
today than they once did.
In 1998, 20% of churchgoers were in congregations that were complete-
ly white and non-Hispanic, compared to 14 percent in 2006-07, he said.
During that same span, the increase in predominantly white congregations
with some Asian attendees increased from about 17 percent to 20 percent.
Predominantly white congregations with some Latino attendees jumped
from under 30 percent to more than 35 percent, as did mostly white con-
gregations with some African-Americans in attendance.

CME's elect first female Bishop

Dr. Teresa Snorton
Dr. Teresa Snorton has been
elected the first female bishop of the
Christian Methodist Episcopal
(C.M.E.) Church. Snorton was one
among elected bishop during the
congregation's thirty-sixth quadren-
nial session and thirty-seventh
General Conference, which con-

vened in Mobile, Ala. early this
month. The conference theme was,
"An Essential Church": Poised for
21st Century Ministry."
According to a release announc-
ing her election, she is descendant
of a great-grandfather, a father and
an uncle who were all CME pastors.
Her grandmother was an active mis-
sionary. Her two sisters are also
CME ministers. As an ordained
minister in the Christian Methodist
Episcopal Church, she has served as
a pastor in Kentucky. Before mov-
ing to Atlanta, she was also a psy-
chiatric staff chaplain in Louisville,
on the adjunct faculty of the
Louisville Presbyterian Theological
Seminary in Kentucky. She was also
on the faculties of the Patient
Counseling Program at the Medical
College of Virginia and the School
of Theology of Virginia Union
University, both in Richmond.

Melanoma does not discriminate.
In fact, African-Americans are
more likely to die from melanoma -
- the deadliest, most common form
of skin cancer -- than are
Caucasians in the United States.
And although the incidence of
skin cancer was more than 10 times
higher among whites, African-
Americans who contracted
melanoma had a far lower survival
rate than whites, according to a
study done by the University of
Michigan.
The Michigan study, which sur-
veyed 2,187 African-American
adults, revealed that 63 percent of

she believes that melanin, the pig-
ment that gives her skin its hue,
provides blacks with enough pro-
tection from the sun.
"In the days that it is really hot, I
may think about wearing sunscreen,
but nine times out of 10, I don't
wear it," Richards said.
Her comments startled her 61-
year-old father, Danny Richards.
He suffered a severe and painful
sunburn that peeled off skin. He
visited his physician and was told
that sunscreen would protect his
skin.
"I don't ever think about leaving
home without it," he said.

used it. Skin cancers are less frequently observed in
Easter
Chiu, 31, African-American patients. Most likely, this
grew up in decreased frequency is due to the photopro-
A m e r i c a n section conferred by the melanin in darkly
Sa m o an, pigmented skin. But despite the lower risk to
where nei-
ther she nor this patient population, African-American
her relatives patients who develop skin cancers are faced
wore sun- with an increased morbidity and mortality,
screen. She
said she which is often a result of delayed diagnosis
t h i n k s in this patient population.
humidity especially at midday.
deterred many people there from Armstrong said she has diag-
using it. At the swim meet, howev- nosed melanoma in African-
er, she had protected her brown skin Americans, who often are surprised
with sunscreen and was sitting to learn that they have the skin can-
beneath an umbrella.
cer.
"I use it here now because I am "They tell me that they did not
afraid of any sort of skin cancer think that it was possible to develop
type, and I especially want to pro- melanoma," she said. "And often-
tect my kids out in the sun swim- times they don't know any member
ming pretty much daily," Chiu said. of the family that has melanoma."
Armstrong recommended that Experts believe that African-
people use sunscreen of SPF 15 or Americans are usually diagnosed
higher every day, and they should with melanoma too late. At the
reapply it every three hours if out in swim meet, the talk of sunscreen
the sun. had gotten Danny Richards think-
She also suggested wearing ing. Looking at his daughter
clothing that covers arms and legs, Andrea, he said, "I have to have a
and a hat with a wide brim. On talk with her."
sunny days, she said, seek shade,

them had never used sunscreen.
Only 31 percent were found to pro-
tect themselves from the sun in at
least one way, such as wearing a
hat.
Andrea Richards, a 34-year-old
African-American from
Sacramento, Calif., recently was
sitting under an umbrella at her
daughter's outdoor swim meet at
Woodland High School near
Sacramento, Calif. Richards said

April Armstrong, a dermatologist
at University of California, Davis
Medical Center, said that although
African-Americans have a lower
incidence of skin cancer, they are
still at risk for developing it. That
risk holds true for darker-skinned
people of any race.
Armstrong said she believes peo-
ple who don't wear sunblock may
have grown up in households where
their parents and siblings never

New website looking for

interracial relationship stories

The Interracial Relationships
C o m m u n i t y
(www.irrcommunity.com) is a new
web site where people involved in,
of connected to, interracial relation-
ships can share their stories and
support one another. They welcome
stories from all races, creeds, ethnic
and cultural backgrounds, from
parents, children and other family
members, from marriage, partner-
ship both straight and gay, and dat-
ing.
All stories submitted will be con-
sidered for publication on the site,
but all are encouraged to use cen-
sorship so that parents may choose
to allow their children to read the
stories. There should be no discus-
sion of sex, and abbreviations
should be used if its necessary to
refer to a racial slur. Discussion of
religion is not allowed, as this can
quickly turn to hate.
The site access for a year is $25,
and users can take a test drive
before they subscribe, by reading
about a dozen stories representing
what can be found on the site. Since
the site is new, all are invited to
submit a story, no subscription
required, to help them get started.
They look forward to getting
your stories, and creating a really
supportive and useful community

where all can benefit from different
experiences.
For details, visit: www.irrcom-
munity.com

Know the Symptoms: Are you having a stroke?

What is a stroke? This life-threat-
ening condition is a medical emer-
gency and the third leading cause of
death in the U.S. It occurs when a
blood vessel in the brain bursts or,
more commonly, when a blockage
develops. Without treatment, cells
in the brain quickly begin to die.
The result can be serious disability
or death. If a loved one is having
stroke symptoms, seek emergency
medical attention without delay.
Stroke Symptoms
Signs of a stroke may include:
Sudden numbness or weakness
of the body, especially on one side.
Sudden vision changes in one or
both eyes.
Sudden, severe headache with

unknown cause.
Sudden problems with dizzi-
ness, walking, or balance.
Sudden confusion, difficulty
speaking or understanding others.
Call 911 immediately if you
notice any of these symptoms.
Stroke Test: Talk, Wave, Smile
The F.A.S.T. test helps spot
symptoms. It stands for:
Face. Ask for a smile. Does one
side droop?
Arms. When raised, does one side
drift down?
Speech. Can the person repeat a
simple sentence? Does he or she
have trouble or slur words?
Time. Time is critical. Call 911
immediately if any symptoms are

The Jacksonville Free Press

would love to share your

event with our readers.

We do have a few guidelines

that need to be followed
1. All unsolicited photos require a $10 photo charge for each
picture. Photos can be paid by check, money order or credit
card,
2. Pictures must be brought into our office to be examined
for quality or emailed in a digital format of .jpg or .bmp.
3. Everyone in the picture must be named. /
4. All photos MUST be received within 5 days of the event.
NO EXCEPTIONS.
5. Event photos must be accompanied by a story/event synop-
sis including the 5W's of media: who, what, when, where and
why. in addition to a phone number for more information.

Call 634-1993 for

more information!

present.
Time = Brain Damage
Every second counts when seek-
ing treatment for a stroke. When
deprived of oxygen, brain cells
begin dying within minutes. There
are clot-busting drugs that can curb
brain damage, but they have to be
used within three hours of the initial
stroke symptoms. Once brain tissue
has died, the body parts controlled
by that area won't work properly.
This is why stroke is a top cause of
long-term disability.

Diagnosing a Stroke
When someone with stroke
symptoms arrives in the ER, the
first step is to determine which type
of stroke is occurring. There are
two main types, and they are not
treated the same way. A CT scan
can help doctors determine whether
the symptoms are coming from a
blocked blood vessel or a bleeding
one. Additional tests may also be
used to find the location of a blood
clot or bleeding within the brain.

Edward Smith celebrates 84 Mr. Edward
Smith of the Eastside celebrated his 84th birthday last weekend with a
surprise party given by his children. Siblings Nathan, Ethel, and
Latricia Smith joined their father highlighting his past 84 years. Since
retiring from the Alton Box Factory in 1988, Mr. Smith enjoys spend-
ing time with his family, fixing things and landscaping his yard. He is
a member of Greater Payne Chapel AME. FMP photo.

What to do from social, volunteer, political and sports activities to self enrichment and the civic scene

Stage Aurora Black
Arts Festival
Stage Aurora will present their 3rd
Annual Black Arts Festival July
23-25 right here in Jacksonville.
Headlining will be Melba Moore
and Daniel Beaty. In addition to the
film reviews, there will also be
"Kings of the Kitchen" culinary
event, 70s party, spoken word and
more. Fore more information, call
765-7372. All events will be at their
Gateway Mall headquarters.

Studdard and
Aiken in Concert
American Idols Clay Aiken and
Ruben Studdard will visit
Jacksonville on Saturday, July
24th at the Florida Theatre. The
concert will begin at Showtime is 8
p.m. For more info call 355-2787.

Girls-Guys & Games
NPHC of First Coast Alumni will
present "Girls, Guys & Games" on
Saturday, July 31st at the Firemen's
Union Hall, 618 Stockton Street.
The event is for the 21+ crowd and
will be from 9 p.m. 2 a.m. Call
765-9483 for more information.

Enjoy jazz by the
sea at American Beach
Historic American Beach will con-
tinue their Summer Jazz Series on
Saturday July 31st and August
28th. "Instant Groove" will be held

at Burney Park (Comer of Burney
and Ocean) on American Beach
from 5-8 p.m. Bring your chairs,
relax and enjoy food, ocean breezes
and music by the sea.

Raines / Ribault
Class of '78 Charity
B-ball Game & Gala
Raines & Ribault have joined
forces to lay aside their high school
rivalry to benefit the stakeholders
of their respective schools. On July
31, 2010, the Old School/New
School Charity Basketball Game to
bring together families and friends
for a memorable time of fun and
fellowship. That evening, there will
be a formal Gala at the Wyndham
Hotel from 7 11 p.m. To partici-
pate or more information call 410-
9603. Stay tuned for details.

Walmart Back-to-
School Festival
Visit the Jacksonville Landing on
Saturday, July 31st with a WalMart
receipt showing a Pepsi purchase
and get a free backpack. There will
also be other prizes and giveaways.
The fun kicks off at 10 a.m.

Free Evening
of Spoken Word
Come out and enjoy an evening of
Spoken Word at the Ritz Theater on
August 5th, 2010. The free event
will start at 7 p.m. Spoken word

night is held on the first Thursday
of every month where poets, writ-
ers, vocalists and sometimes musi-
cians gather to present and hear
some of the area's most powerful
lyrical voices in a casual open-mic
setting. Call 632-5555 for info.
Duval/Nassau BCU
Alumni Meeting
The Duval/Nassau Alumni
Chapter will be having their month-
ly Alumni Meeting on Thursday,
August 5th at Bono's BBQ 5903
Norwood Avenue at 6 p.m.The
meeting will be held every first
Thursday. For more information
visit http://duvalnassaubcualum-
nichapter.org or call 610-3412.

Annual Senior Prom
The City of Jacksonville invites all
seniors age 60 and older to attend
the 29th annual Senior Prom. The
Senior Prom will be held on Friday,
August 6 from 6-10 p.m. at the
Prime F. Osborn Convention
Center. This year's theme is a
Masquerade Ball and attendees are
encouraged to create and wear
masks and festive accessories to the
prom. The evening will include din-
ner, music, dancing and door prizes.
A prom king and queen will also be
crowned at the event. For more
information call (904) 630-3690..

PRIDE Book
Club Meeting
The August meeting of the

PRIDE Book Club, Jacksonville's
oldest book club for people of color,
will be held on Saturday, August
7th at the American Beach home of
Marsha Phelts. The book for discus-
sion is "Is Bill Cosby Right" by
Michael Eric Dyson. For directions,
location or more information to the
meeting call 261-0175.

Eat Up Downtown
From August 9-22, the city is
encouraged to "Eat Up
Downtown." From hip cafes to ele-
gant steak houses, Downtown
restaurants are serving up specially
selected prix-fixe menus at an
unbeatable value. There are no
passes to buy, coupons or cards to
punch. Simply make reservations at
the restaurant of your choice. For
more information and menus, visit
eatupdowntown.com or call 451-
3344.

Asso. of Fundraising
Professionals Reception
The local chapter of the
Association of Fundraising
Professionals will celebrate their
50th anniversary with a reception
on Thursday, August 12th from 5-
7:30PM. It will be held at the Omni
Hotel downtown. For more infor-
mation, email vboyer@hmhbc-
jaxnfl.org.

Toast to the Animals
Grab a glass and toast the First

Coast's furriest friends at the
Jacksonville Humane Society's
12th annual Toast to the Animals on
Friday, August 13th from 6- 9 p.m.
at the Omni Jacksonville Hotel.
Enjoy more than 100 varieties of
wine, beer, gourmet hors d'oeuvres
and desserts at the fundraiser in
addition to a silent and live auction.
Tickets are available at www.jax-
humane.org or call 725-8766.

Comedian Sheryl
Underwood in Concert
Comedian Sheryl Underwood will
be in concert at he Comedy Zone in
Mandarin August 13-15. Sheryl
continues to push the envelope: dis-
cussing sex, politics, current events
and relationships. She is also
national president of Zeta Phi Beta
Sorority. Call 292-4242 for tickets.

Cocktails for a Cause
In celebration of the National
Urban League's 100th year, the
local affiliate will be holding
"Cocktails for a Cause" to learn
about their Centennial Movement,
and to network with community
leaders. It will be held at the
University Club,1301 Riverplace
Boulevard on Wednesday, August
18th from 4:30 7:30 p.m. RSVP
your attendance to
l.finley@jaxul.org or 366-3461.

Cedric the Entertainer
in Concert
Comedian and actor Cedric the
Entertainer will be in concert on
Friday, August 20, 2010 at the

Times Union Center. Showtime is 8
p.m. Call 353-3309.

Kuumba Festival 2010
The Carter G. Woodson
Committee for Positive Education
of Jacksonville, Inc. (CGWC) is
kicking off its 22nd Annual
Kuumba Festival of Florida on
Saturday, August 21st, 2010.
11:00am until 8:00pm. The festival
will take place at 500 N. Davis
Street (across from the Lavilla
School of the Arts). For more infor-
mation visit www.kuumbafesti-
valfl.org, or call 1 888-477-0565.

PRIDE Book
Club Meeting
The September meeting of the
PRIDE Book Club, Jacksonville's
oldest book club for people of color,
will be held on Friday,
September 10th at 7 p.m. hosted
by Ellen Young and Priscilla
Williamson. The book for discus-
sion will be "The Right Mistake"
by Walter Mosley. For more infor-
mation call 389-8417.

Southern Women's Show
The annual Southern Women's
Show will be held October 21-24 at
the Prime Osborne Convention
Center. The annual event includes
savvy shopping, creative cooking
ideas, healthy lifestyle tips, trendy
fashion shows, great celebrity
guests, and fabulous prizes. Times
are from 10 a.m. 8 p.m. For tickets
or more information, call 1-800-
849-0248.

JLOC Open Meeting
The Jacksonville Local Organizing Committee for the Millions More
Movement Inc., will have 'Open Meetings' on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Sunday of
each month. The time is 6:00 8:00 p.m, at 916 N.Myrtle Avenue. The meet-
ings are open to the public. If you are concerned and want to see improvement
in the quality of life and living conditions in your community, you are invit-
ed to attend. For more information call 904-240-9133.

ibmw Your Xm and Goig Eve

News deadline is Monday at 6 p.m. by the
week you would like your information to be
printed. Information can be sent via email,
fax, brought into our office or mailed in.
Please be sure to include the 5W's who,
what, when, where, why and you must
include a contact number.

hit with loss
First it was Hurricane Katrina,
then it was the BP oil spill. Now the
Louisiana coastal region faces a
third economic crisis: Northrop
Grumman Corp. will close the ship-
yard in Avondale, eliminating 5,000
jobs.
Northrop Grumman (NOC,
Fortune 500) said late Tuesday that
it will "wind down" the shipyard,
located in the immediate vicinity of
New Orleans, by 2013. First it must
finish building two LPD-class
Navy ships, which are used to
transport Marines.
And once the Avondale shop is
shuttered, Northrop will send any
future work to its Pascagoula,
Miss., facility. "The consolidation
will reduce future costs, increase
efficiency and address shipbuilding
overcapacity," said Chief Executive

Wes Bush. The company is also
considering spinning off its ship-
building business.
Meanwhile, the local economy
must now deal with an unholy tri-
umvirate: the aftermath of an apoc-
alyptic hurricane that approaches
its fifth anniversary; an oil spill that
is fouling the coast and wrecking
the fishing industry; and losing a
major employer.
"Northrop Grumman has tragi-
cally chosen to turn its back on
Louisiana and thousands of work-
ers in the state," said Sen. Mary
Landrieu, D-La. "While the compa-
ny might believe this decision will
have a positive effect on its bottom
line, the long-term consequences
for Louisiana's economy, our
national security and Northrop
Crunmman itself will' be devastat-
_i&g." .
Particularly devastating is that
many of the 5,000 positions were
good-paying jobs -- engineers,

of 5,000 jobs
welders, pipefitters -- that paid
about $62,000 per year, according
to Bob Brown, managing director
of the Business Council of New
Orleans and the River Region.
Fighting for survival
University of New Orleans econ-
omist Janet Speyrer said that New
Orleans is already facing hundreds
of layoffs at the Michoud Assembly
Center, where Lockheed Martin
workers will no longer be making
space shuttle fuel tanks for NASA.
She said losing these manufactur-
ing jobs will have a ripple affect
through the economy because of
the service industry required to sup-
port them. These companies "might
not have enough business to oper-
ate here without a shipbuilding
facility," she said.
There is some hope that the ship-
yard will be
converted
over to some
other type of
business.
Northrop said
that it plans
S : "to explore
|i" ".: alternate uses
9 .- for Avondale
S .- as the last two
.. .' ships under
construction
reach comple-
f Nevw Orleans. tion."
Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana
announced that he has been "talking
with potential buyers and tenants in
order to secure employment levels
at Avondale" that could include
"additional shipbuilders that could
utilize the site, as well as non-ship-
builder manufacturers and other
potential job-creating projects."
The governor also said that he
met with Northrop Grumman repre-
sentatives to discuss the building of
two additional LPD ships at
Avondale in order to postpone the
closure to 2015.
The company said it "anticipates
some opportunities" at its ship-
building facilities in Pascagoula
"for Avondale shipbuilders who
wish to relocate."
But this provides little comfort to
business leaders in Louisiana.
"I guess the only thing anyone
can ask for is to pray for a mild hur-
ricane season," said Brown.

F

I.-- w .
Cong. Kendrick Meek arrived rock star style with his own entourage
and cheering squad providing the best entrance of the evening.

Democrats know Alex Sink will
be their nominee for governor. In
the Senate race, it's anybody's guess
right now who will represent the
party.
Congressman Kendrick Meek
says his opponent, billionaire Jeff
Greene, is trying to buy the nomi-
nation. Greene, who entered the
race just hours before the deadline
to get on the ballot, says Meek is a
career politician and that's the prob-
lem with Washington.
Both addressed 1,300 activists at
the Florida Democratic Party's
annual Jefferson-Jackson dinner
last Saturday night. Meek was
clearly more popular with the
crowd, drawing more applause as
he started his speech and often
interrupted by cheers. One of
Greene's only applause lines was
when he said he would support the
party nominee, whoever it is.
Meek boasted about successfully
leading the effort to put class size
limits in the state constitution
despite campaigning against it by
then-Gov. Jeb Bush. He also
recalled how he held a sit-in in
Bush's office complex to protest his
decision to remove affirmative
action protections from state con-
tracts and university admissions.
He said as a state legislator, he
worked "to make sure everyone has
a voice standing up to Jeb Bush
when he was in a Category 5 frenzy
when we passed class size."
Greene, who is running as a polit-
ical outsider, received lukewarm
applause. He said Washington
needs people who understand the
global economy.
"I started with nothing, I worked
hard all of my life," Green said. "I

am absolutely humbled by the suc-
cess I've achieved in America. I've
lived the American dream.
Unfortunately because of
Washington's failures, too many
Americans are living the American
nightmare."
The Senate race has been a wild
ride. Former Republican Sen. Mel
Martinez resigned with 16 months
left in his term. Meek jumped into
the race almost immediately. Then
in May 2009, Gov. Charlie Crist
announced he would seek the seat

Alex Sink
.instead of a second term. Crist later
appointed his former chief of staff,
George LeMieux, to finish
Martinez' term.
Crist was considered the heavy
favorite to win the Republican
nomination until he fell out of favor
with conservatives and Republican
Marco Rubio overcame a huge
money disadvantage to build a dou-
ble-digit lead in the polls.

On April 29, Crist announced he
was dropping out of the Republican
primary and running as an inde-
pendent. The next day Greene
announced he would challenge
Meek.
The Democratic primary has
since become vicious, with Meek
accusing Greene of profiting of the
misery of others by correctly bet-
ting the housing market would col-
lapse and Greene questioning
Meek's ethics.
"The career politicians have
failed us in each and every way, our
world has never been less safe, our
economy is a disaster," Greene told
the crowd. "We all know why we're
in this mess, because of career
politicians in Washington."
Before the dinner, Meek told

reporters that
Greene is run-
ning as a rich
man looking
for something
new to do.
"I don't
beli eve
Floridians
will allow
him to pur-
chase this
race. We've
been working
hard. It means

trol" on issues from oil drilling to
the economy.
"As the lone Democratic voice on
the state Cabinet, I have had to
push, prod and even chastise every
step of the way to be sure that our
government takes action and takes
responsibility," Sink said. "And
sometimes, as I sit at those Cabinet
meetings, I think to myself 'Who
are you people? And what are you
doing for Florida?'"
Democrats have not held the gov-
ernor's office since Bush, a
Republican, was sworn in January
1999. While Democrats have made
some gains in recent years most
notably Sink winning her office
four years ago and President Barack
Obama carrying the state in 2008
- they see this year as their best

IDIHHIR (@J(cAkBILIm
From Senate candidate Kendrick Meek: "I'll be the
only one that hasn't run as a Republican in the past."

-- From his opponent Jeff Greene: "We put a man on
the moon 40 years ago and we're just now inventing an
electric car" (The third Dem in that contest, Maurice
Ferre, declared himself the "sleeper" candidate.)

something,"
Meek said. "He's living in a differ-
ent world. He's not living in the
world with the folks that are sitting
at the dining room table trying to
figure out how they're going to
make ends meet."
The crowd also rallied Sink, the
state's chief financial officer, who
will either face Republican
Attorney General Bill McCollum or
Rick Scott, the former
Columbia/HCA CEO who has spent
more than $20 million of his own
money to take a lead in the GOP
primary. Lawton "Bud" Chiles III,
son of the late governor, is running
as an independent.
Sink criticized Republicans for
being "out of touch and out of con-

mail to prove it."
opportunity in a long time to regain
some power in Tallahassee.
Delaware Gov. Jack Markell,
who chairs the Democratic
Governors Association, also spoke
at the event. He said beforehand he
was in Florida because of the
importance of the governor's race.
He also said Sink is being helped
by the negative campaigns
McCollum and Scott are running
against each other.
"The Republicans are helping. As
they're engaged in a civil war to see
who can go farther right, we've got
Alex Sink who's incredibly quali-
i.-.,u% -,. ., ,a. ..,-d'-* ;r. -, ,
ed and she's toused on jobs."
Markell said.

Tea Party resolution

Continued from page 1
for denouncing the racist ele-
ments of a party to which he is
loyal. He explained that he felt
increasingly uncomfortable within
the Tea Party. We want Chris to live
in a world where he can feel com-
fortable in both organizations.
Over 2000 delegates voted. The
resolution was proposed by our
Missouri State Conference, from
the home state of the Council of
Conservative Citizens, widely rec-
ognized as the linear descendant of
the White Citizens Council. Their
fealty to racism is not obscured.
Like Stormfront.org, a website
founded by former KKK leader
Don Black, the Council celebrates
its allegiance to and influence in the
Tea Party. The avowed racist David
Duke notes that thousands of Tea
Party activists have urged him to
run for president.. When the Tea
Party marches by, Duke thinks it's
his fiesta.
Our members know too well the
pain and the potential danger of
white supremacist groups. Since
our resolution was publicized, a
number of our branches and our
corporate offices are reporting vio-
lent threats.
We have all seen the blatantly
racist signs portraying President
Obama as a monkey. We have seen
the press conference with the civil
rights icon Rep. John Lewis
describing how he was spit on and
called the N-word, or Rep. Barney
Frank being called a vicious slur for
gay men.
Dick Armey and other Tea Party
leaders have not only refused to dis-
avow the racism -- they have denied
it.
With increased influence comes
increased responsibility. It is long
past time for Dick Armey and the
Tea Party leadership to take a
stance. Instead, they remain silent
while many of the group's leaders

are attacking the NAACP, calling a
historically multiracial, anti-racist
organization "racist." We are
receiving death threats and other
threats of violence for asking them
to rout the violent, racist factions in
their midst.
The NAACP is working hard to
move our nation forward. We have
joined with almost 200 other organ-
izations representing people of all
races, creeds and faiths to form a
movement to pull America back
together and put America back to
work. "One Nation Working
Together" is the antithesis to the bit-
ter polarization being bred by the
Tea Party and its ilk. It represents a
clarion call to unity, to come togeth-

er as a country.
On October 2 we will gather in
Washington in a march for jobs, to
demand a fair economy that works
for all. We will embrace hope and
possibility -- not hate.
As Americans seeking peace, har-
mony, and goodwill, we have too
much at stake to be derailed by the
rancor of racism. It's been said that
"Evil flourishes with the silence of
good men."
It is time for all people of good-
will -- and especially the leadership
of the Tea Party -- to break the
silence and make it clear that this
type of vile bigotry is antithetical to
the moral ethos of our nation.

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Ms. Perry's Free Press Page 9

luJ 22-28 2010

Page 10 Ms. Perry's Free Press June 22-28, 2010

.

Flipping Through

IACKSOHVILLE
fREE PRESS

the Free

Press Files

On the eve of our twenty-fifth anniversary, many people, places and events have graced the Free Press pages. Join us
as we glimpse back at some of the events that helped shape our newspaper into the publication that it is today.

Ronald Belton, financial guru and author Maxine Broome and
investor Michael Stewart at a meet and greet with the author.

~1

Dr. William Price of the Stanton Class of 1949 attended the opening
of the Clinton Presidential Library in Arkansas. The Jax native is cur-
rently an instructor of foreign languages at Albany State University.
He also taught French and Spanish at Stanton from 1963-1968.

In this circa early 90s photo, Charles Griggs exposes his children
Landon and Cidney (now in high school and college)to the Kuubma
African Arts Festival.

Locked up Lil' Wayne owes $1M+ to
IRS, Wesley still in trouble
Rapper Lil' Wayne is again dancing with the IRS,
this time over $1.14 million in back taxes.
The U.S. Internal Revenue Service filed liens last
month in Dade County Circuit Court against the
rapper's Florida property totaling $1,138,759.71
for back taxes in 2004, 2005 and 2007, according
to court filings. The address listed on the liens is
the same address as Lil Wayne's One Family Foundation. Lil Wayne,
who is currently serving a one-year sentence in New York's Riker's
Island prison for gun possession, paid anoth-
er IRS lien of $977,840 in 2008.
He is not the only celebrity with run-ins
with the IRS. Actor Wesley Snipes faces up
to three years in prison now that a federal
judge denied on Friday his appeal of a 2008
conviction for not filing tax returns between
1999 and 2004 -- amounting to about $17
million in owed taxes. The star of the Blade
vampire movies, White Men Can't Jump and
most recently, Brooklyn's Finest, has been
out on bail awaiting the appeal decision.
No more Tiny in Tiny and Toya
There's gonna be a change in the line
up of BET's "Tiny & Toya" when the
show comes back next season. Basically
there will be no Tiny.
For the last two seasons the show fol-
lowed the lives ofAntonia "Toya" Carter,
ex-wife of currently incarcerated rapper
Lil' Wayne, and Tameka "Tiny" Cottle,
the fiance of recently released rapper
T.I.
Moving forward, Carter says she'll be
featured in a spin-off titled "Toya's
Family Affair," which will focus on her
life, her daughter with Lil' Wayne and her relationships. Carter hinted
that her new show might possibly include her interactions with some of
the baby-mamas of Wayne's other children.
"Me, Lauren [London], Nivea and Sarah, we kind of always get togeth-
er to keep the kids together so they can know each other," Carter said.
"The situation is not ideal but at this point it is what it is and we try to
make the best of it."
Jailed Kilpatrick Charged with Misconduct
After Wife's Visit Kwame Kilpatrick, the impris-
oned former mayor of Detroit, was charged with sex-
ual misconduct after he was caught copping a feel t
during a July 4 visit from his wife, according to a
report released by the Michigan Bureau of Prisons.
According to CNN, the report states that a correc-
tional officer observed via a prison video feed
Kilpatrick touch his wife,"Carlita Kilpatrick, on her n c
breast with his right hand in the prison visiting room at Oaks
Correctional Facility in Manistee.
If found guilty of the misconduct Kilpatrick could lose certain privi-
leges, including a loss of visitations from his wife.
Prisoners are allowed one kiss with visitors and are allowed to hold
hands in photographs. Anything else is considered to be misconduct, the
prison spokesman said.
Kilpatrick is currently serving a maximum five-year sentence in
Michigan for violating probation in a 2008 case against him.
Vick Bankruptcy Trustee Seeks
Money Given to Family and Friends
The trustee in Michael Vick's bankruptcy
case wants the return of at least $2 million that
a the NFL quarterback gave to friends and fam-
ily members in the months before he was sent
to federal prison for running a dogfighting
operation.
A complaint filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court
in Newport News says Vick knew he was
about to go to jail and face huge legal bills, yet
he continued to shower friends and relatives
with gifts and cash, reports the AP. Those assets, trustee Joseph J.
Luzinski argues, should have gone to Vick's creditors.
The trustee's complaint seeks reimbursement from Vick's mother,
Brenda Boddie; his fiancee and the mother of two of his children, Kijafa
Frink; his brother, Marcus; his sister, Christina N. Vick; another relative,
Terrance Vick; the mother of his first child, Tameka Taylor; and friends
Tommy Reamon and Charles W. Reamon Jr.

Idris Elba escorts college

kids on African tour

Elba is shown abo'
Actor Idris Elba recently returned
from hosting 21 students from
Historically Black Colleges and
Universities on an excursion to
South Africa for Coca-Cola's first
"Open Happiness Tour."
"This was a life-changing and
moving experience for me," Elba
told BV Buzz. "I've been to Africa a
couple of times since my father was
from Ghana and mother Sierra
Leone, but this was one of the most
moving and powerful trips I've ever
had."
The HBCU students hosted by
the star of films like 'Obsessed' and
'Daddy's Little Girls' were selected
after participating in a video com-
petition to describe how they were
inspired by the Coca-Cola RAIN
program Coca-Cola's 'Water for
Schools"campaign for schoolchild-
ren in Africa and around the world.
As a part of their trip to South
Africa, the students attended a
FIFA World Cup game, toured the
Nelson Mandela National Museum,
visited the Constitutional Court
Building (the prison where Nelson
Mandela was locked up) and went
on a safari.
While all of the experiences were
great, Elba said one of the most

moving aspects of the trip was the
group's visit to a local grade school
in Soweto, where the students per-
formed an impromptu talent show
for the students as a display of love.
"Watching the students grow in
awareness and seeing how much
we take for granted was so refresh-
ing and an honor for me to be a part
of their experience. Thanks to
Coca-Cola, we now have 21 new
leaders who will make a difference
in our world," added the actor, who
stars next in the movie 'Takers.'
Coca-Cola intends to make its
Open Happiness Tour an annual
event moving forward.

Vonetta McGee, an actress who
scaled the ranks of black
Hollywood during blaxploitation
film era of the 1970s, died after
experiencing cardiac arrest and
being on life support for two days.
She was 65, though some have her
year of birth listed as 1940.
McGee appeared opposite Fred
Williamson in the black action
movie 'Hammer' in 1972 and had
starring roles in the crime drama
'Melinda' and the popular horror
film 'Blacula.'
One Los Angeles Times movie
reviewer once considered McGee
"one of the busiest and most beauti-
ful black actresses."
The San Francisco native also
appeared with Richard Roundtree
in 'Shaft in Africa' (1973), and co-
starred with her lover, Max Julien,
in 'Thomasine & Bushrod'
(1974).McGee also appeared along-
side Clint Eastwood in the action-
thriller 'The Eiger Sanction,' which
was considered a coup for a black
actress during that period.
"I was pleased to see her get a
role with Clint Eastwood,"
Williamson told the Los Angeles
Times. "Not many black actors had
that opportunity to be in a movie
where color doesn't matter."

Fun & games highlight

grown folks "Playdate "- Over 150 peo-
ple attended this months "playdate" held at Terra Nova. Comedian AJ and
talk show host Lynn Jones hosted this months event. Couples and singles
mingled and played signature "old school" games such as: trouble, connect
four, and monopoly. Card games consisted of spades and uno. There was
also a contest featuring who could hoola hoop the longest, Simon says and
musical man sit in the woman lap chairs! Karaoke was a hit as the audi-
ence sang tunes and were eliminated if they did not know the words to the
song. Old school and new school music lit up the speakers while playing
games and finding or bringing a date was the key to a great evening.
Shown above enjoying a game of Jinga are Michael and Felecia Franklin.
For more information visit www.playdatejax.com

., .

"Vonetta McGee was like a lot of
actors and actresses at that time,
like myself, Jim Brown, Richard
Roundtree, Billy Dee Williams and
Pam Grier, in that we had more tal-
ent than we were allowed to show

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lets you give students at risk of dropping out the boost they need to make it
through high school. Because over 30% of students in the U.S. aren't graduating.
And they've got a lot more to tackle than just their schoolwork.

s passes at 65
heyday. The label, she said, was
used "like racism, so you don't have
to think of the individual elements,
just the whole. If you study propa-
ganda, you understand how this
works."
On a segment of 'Soul Train' in
1974, McGee joked that she had to
go through a "lot of pain" to get her
acting career started. In actuality,
she attended San Francisco State
college when she got involved with
a local acting group. McGee
launched her film career in 1968 in
Italy, where she debuted in 'The
Great Silence' and played the title
role in the comedy 'Faustina.'
While starring in several episodes
of the 1980s drama series 'Cagney
& Lacey,' alongside Carl Lumbly,
McGee fell in love with the dashing
actor.
The couple had a son, Brandon,
in 1988.
According to family spokes-
woman Kelley Nayo, McGee had
been diagnosed with Hodgkin's
lymphoma at age 17, but her July 9
death was not related to the disease.
"She was a brilliant actor, with a
distinctive style and grace," Pam
Grier said upon hearing about
McGee's death. "I hope everyone
revisits her films and enjoy. I wish
peace and love to Carl, her hus-
band, her son and and her family."

Ms. Perry's Free Press -Page 11

y luJ 22-28 2010

because everything was perceived
as a black project. Once they cate-
gorize you, your marketability
becomes limited," he added.
Known to be outspoken herself,
McGee didn't care too much for the
blaxploitation label that was
attached to many of the films of her

July 22-28, 2010

ag l -- 1) -M e P Dri .9Se e

Page 12 Ms. errys ree ress

Turpin, House, Rodgers and Witherspoon celebrate 18th Family Reunion

Members of the Turpin, House, Rodgers and Witherspoon families recently held their 18th Family Reunion in Jacksonville, Florida last weekend. Activities included family activities at their host hotel and family
worship at St. Stephen's AME Church along with the Banquet. The highlight of the event was the Family Picnic at Lonnie Miller Park (shown above). Family members of all ages enjoyed fun, games, barbecue and
each other throughout the Saturday afternoon. The next reunion is scheduled for Washington, DC in 2012. The family matriarch, ninety-three year old Irene Grant is shown in the inset. FMP photo

I0.. .um erfa il m met -

Omega men mark 99 years of service in Raleigh

President Barack Obama and his family hike on Cadillac Mountain at Acadia National Park in Maine, July
16, 2010.

RALEIGH, Nc. Omega Psi Phi,
the first black fraternity founded at
a historically black university, is
bringing its biennial Grand
Conclave to the Raleigh
Convention Center starting
Thursday. The national convention
is expected to draw as many as
5,000 people for a series of meet-
ings and activities stretching for a
week.
The heavy turnout isn't an acci-
dent. Omega and other black frater-
nities encourage long-term involve-
ment through graduate chapters that
keep alumni as active as if they
were still on campus.
Omega is one of the nation's
largest black fraternities, with more
than 100,000 members. Its alumni
rolls have star power, including ath-
letes Michael Jordan and Shaquille
O'Neal, actor Bill Cosby and the
Rev. Jesse Jackson.
But Omegas, while proud of
those members, tend to think less
about individual achievement and

more about total impact, said
Warren Lee, the fraternity's nation-
al president.
"That's what gives us legs," said
Lee, whose organization and its 619
chapters donate more than $1 mil-
lion a year to charities. "It's not the
individual members but what we do
collectively as a group."
The brothers of Omega Psi Phi
are a proud group. They call them-
selves "Omega Men" and extol
virtues such as manhood and schol-
arship. The organization is national,
but it preaches local action, urging
members to lift up the communities
that produced them.
Omega started small, a trio of
Howard University undergrads in
1911 that met in their biology pro-
fessor's office. They created Omega
Psi Phi with the motto "Friendship
is essential to the soul," and the fra-
ternity took flight.
It wasn't an easy path at first.
Howard, though a historically black
institution, was led by a white pres-

ident slow to embrace the fraterni-
ty's desire to become a national
enterprise.
As it grew, Omega emphasized
recruiting young men with leader-
ship potential. Many played key
roles in civil rights-era struggles,
such as Benjamin Hooks, who led
the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People,
and Benjamin Mays, the longtime
president of Morehouse College
who had taught Martin Luther King
Jr. and would later deliver the civil
rights titan's eulogy.
In the 1950s and '60s, Omega's
national organization used the
strength-in-numbers approach to
make a difference by requiring that
all chapters purchase a life mem-
bership with the NAACP, a fman-
cial show of support.
"It was a mandate," said Burnel
Coulon, a former national president
of the fraternity and its unofficial
historian. "And it did make a differ-
ence. Every dime counted."